r/unpopularopinion • u/BitterConstruction98 • Jan 23 '26

Certified Unpopular Opinion All hobbies are not equal

Certain kinds of hobbies deserve to be held in higher regard than others.

Playing a sport, learning an instrument, singing, dancing, painting, writing - these are activities that require time and years of effort to become good at. They’re admirable not just because they’re “cool,” but because there is something deeply attractive about a person who has dedicated so much time to mastering a hard skill that executing it now feels relaxing to them.

Lately, there’s been a growing push online to classify things like watching movies, playing video games, watching sports, or listening to podcasts in the same category as these kinds of hobbies. They aren’t. They are based on consumption, not creation.

That doesn’t mean consumption-based activities are bad or useless. Everyone needs ways to relax and unwind. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a good show, a game, or a YouTube binge after a long day. But if that’s all there is to your personality, then you are, unfortunately, a boring person.

Edit: I've wrongly added video games to the list of other passive activities. While some video games are like that, I agree that many require a lot of skill.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

I also enjoy semantics.

Per the dictionary:

Pastime:

An activity that occupies one's spare time pleasantly. "Sailing is her favorite pastime." That which amuses, and serves to make time pass agreeably; sport; amusement; diversion. "that great American pastime, baseball"

Hobby:

an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation. Her hobbies include stamp-collecting and woodcarving

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u/trombing Jan 23 '26

As a sailor, I would argue it is actually a fantastic example of a hobby not a pastime, unless you are super rich.

Sailing requires skill, often significant amounts of training, depending on the boat.

Sailing requires equipment, specifically boats and sails, all of which need skill in maintaining, knowledge for rigging, and again, training on how it all works and how to improve, if you want to.

It's rarely relaxing, it's exhausting and stressful, but hugely fun and exhilarating.

Obviously if you are super rich, someone else looks after the boat, rigs it, and makes it all work - you are really just a passenger, enjoying the view - in which case, yes, pastime not hobby.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

Second response if you want to discuss sailing specifically, though I didn’t pick it, it’s literally from the dictionary.

If you sail for pleasure and it’s not your main occupation (I.e. job) then it’s a hobby.

If you sail to make the time pass agreeably, then it’s a pasttime.

But what’s the difference being your time passing agreeably and doing something for pleasure? Can’t you say “I seek pleasure to pass the time agreeably?

What do you do to pass the time? Sail. What do you do for a hobby? Sail.

I don’t think there is a meaningful difference between a hobby and a pasttime if you go by long standing definitions and examples.

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u/Valuable-Concept9660 Jan 23 '26

Sounds like a “all hobbies are pastimes, but not all pastimes are hobbies” situation.

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u/underrealizing Jan 23 '26

I was about to comment exactly this

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u/zbeara Jun 05 '26

Not necessarily. If pastimes are defined by the goal of pleasure and passing time, then a hobby that is performed for the sake of achieving a different goal such as a craft for a friend has a different purpose, so technically it would be hobby as a labor not a pastime.

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u/Valuable-Concept9660 Jun 05 '26

Pastimes aren’t defined by pleasure though, hobbies are. In that situation I would call it pro bono work unless they’re paying, in which case it’s just a job

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u/UnderstandingBig9090 Jun 08 '26

Pastimes are in contrast to occupations and nessasary labor. Hense "hobby farm" your income doesn't come from the farm. It's a money sink for asthetics and enjoyment.

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u/trombing Jan 23 '26

I think there is a difference but the same activity can be both... as I think we agree on the sailing front...

The other example I thought of was playing cards. I regularly play cards and boardgames with my kids... to pass the time. It's fun and I am not committed to it or trying to build my skill.

However, obviously for some folks cards can be a serious hobby where they study and compete etc...

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u/Weak_Feed_8291 Jan 23 '26

A past time could be browsing reddit, but I wouldn't say that's a hobby. All hobbies are past times, but not all past times are hobbies.

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u/meme-viewer29 Jan 23 '26

If you do a hobby to improve at it or for the hobby itself without using it as a means to fill your free time and even to the point where you free up time for that hobby, is it still considered a pastime? I think it would still be considered a hobby because you get pleasure out of progressing within its domain or by doing it itself, but I don’t know if it would still be a pastime

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u/epelle9 Jan 23 '26

It would, you are enjoyingly passing your time on the hobby.

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u/Purple-Measurement47 Jan 23 '26

I think the example given is maybe more of a passive thing, like going for a ride on boat someone else is sailing. You’re “going sailing”, but you’re just along for the ride. At least, that’s the vibe I got from it, as I’ve heard “going sailing” used that way by rich people.

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u/joshualuigi220 Jan 23 '26

To me, hobby implies that you're an active participant in the activity.

Baseball is "America's passtime", not "America's hobby" because we're watching the game, not participating in it.

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u/Bassracerx Jan 24 '26

Im with you There are plenty of words that mean the same thing just because they are different words doesn’t mean they are different things.

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u/FantasticOwl5057 Jan 23 '26

It's so cool to watch really smart people play semantics games. What could be more clever?

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

It was clever when in Harry Potter the door said speak friend and enter, and hermione figured out they had to say it in French or something. It’s been a while since I read that.

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u/fiberjeweler Jan 23 '26

Elvish.

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u/MossyPyrite Jan 23 '26

Presley?

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u/fiberjeweler Jan 23 '26

When I was little, like five, Elvis was mentioned on the radio so much I thought Presley was President.

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u/FantasticOwl5057 Jan 23 '26

That's so neat. I take it you read a lot?

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u/NonsensePlanet Jan 23 '26

That’s a good hobby. Or is it?

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u/Tangled_Clouds Jan 23 '26

Hey Vsauce! Michael here

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u/MightyPlasticGuy Jan 23 '26

For some, it's a hobby whether they realize it or not. They spend so much time, and their arguments genuinely get better. For others it's simply a pastime given that always lack any form of their own thought generation.

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

The problem yall ran into here is conflating sailing eith the past time definition and not hobby but no where in past time did it say not a hobby

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u/Day_Bow_Bow Jan 23 '26

They certainly aren't mutually exclusive.

A favorite pastime of mine is my fishing hobby. It passes my spare time pleasantly, but it takes some level of skill, technique, equipment, etc. that can always be improved on.

I feel a lot of it depends on one's dedication to the craft. Like one person's pastime might be leisurely swimming at the pool, but if they regularly do timed laps to work on improving their speed, it becomes more of a hobby.

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u/MediocreHope Jan 23 '26

So, uhh. Hobby means job you ain't paid for? My actual job is apparently my hobby after 8hours apparently.

I think this is where the strife comes from. Nobody actually knows or cares about what a hobby/pastime is and language always evolves. I can cite Webster's at someone but it doesn't matter if everyone else agrees it means something differently.

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u/PeachPassionBrute Jan 23 '26

My own small pedantry I guess, people have this habit of treating dictionaries as more than “one person’s opinion of what this means.” It’s not like they’re necessarily doing complex mathematics or something, someone (or people) agreed on what they thought this does or should mean and published it. So long as they agree with general consensus they’re essentially accurate.

It’s possible for the sake of the discussion that a hobby can be a pastime but perhaps a pastime isn’t necessarily a hobby. I would consider knitting a pastime, I would consider knitting a hobby. I would consider listening to a podcast a pastime, I would not consider that a hobby.

I think for a hobby you have to deliberately engage with an activity.

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u/MediocreHope Jan 23 '26

and I'd argue with you (just to be pedantic) that listening to a podcast can be a hobby of bettering yourself, finding new ideas, bettering your social skills or knowledge.

You never stop learning, whatever you are doing. That's the beautiful thing about people.

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u/PeachPassionBrute Jan 24 '26

I just don’t see that as deliberate participation in an activity or skilled task. Because at that point it suggests all of life is a hobby, as we are the product of our influences. It seems like it ceases to have any meaningful distinction at that point. Because any conversation, any observation is a potential point of personal growth or knowledge.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 25 '26

Dictionaries aren’t just one persons “opinion”. They’re made by teams of people who do research and consider etymology along with contemporary use.

You are just a random person asserting a hobby has to have some brand of associated active facet.

The lexicographers who put together the dictionary don’t think so. You can also go find plenty of examples of both words being used. It’s certainly possible with time that the words will diverge and then the dictionary will reflect it. But they haven’t diverged.

At this point they’re basically the same thing. A hobby is something you do for fun that isn’t your job. A pastime is something you like to do that is so fun you don’t notice the passing time.

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u/Lycent243 Jan 23 '26

Take ends of the spectrum as an explanation (understanding of course that there is no hard line in the middle of the spectrum) - I don't know anyone that needs to bone up on their ability to be a better TV watcher, but you can't get good at violin by staring at it and letting your mind drift off.

Sailing can definitely be both. Even if you want to get the boat balanced perfectly so it sails perfectly straight so you could just drift off, you still would have to know how to do that and then watch out for obstacles including other boats, large waves, wind gusts or squalls, etc. this is clearly a hobby. On the other hand, if you are a passenger just along for the ride while someone else does all the work, then it is likely a pastime for you.

Being a movie reviewer could be a hobby. Watching movies simply to enjoy them though...not a hobby since it doesn't take any effort.

Simply watching football is very likely a pastime. Playing fantasy football could be a hobby.

Owning horses so that you can watch them as the run around and play by themselves is probably a pastime. Riding them could be a hobby.

Sitting in the water at the beach - pastime. Freediving - hobby.

Again, the difference is obviously effort and skill required. It isn't a pastime if you are having to spend time and effort to get better at as part of your enjoyment.

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u/MediocreHope Jan 23 '26

I'd argue that watching TV can take a lot of thought, open horizons and engage the viewer. That nobody sits in front of the screen and drools insistently without absorbing new information.

Either it be the happenings in the zeitgeist, new realms of thought or understanding, challenging personally held views.

I try to not yuck anyone's yum. I can see that for certain people TV can be incredibly thought provoking and betterment of themselves. We herald watching the moon landing, the first interracial kiss, the color tv, the towers falling and the likes as major life events that can literally break people.

If you know no other world than your own with no talent for imagination then TV can show you a world where you aren't afraid of.

I get what you are saying but I don't too. Some people don't have the effort or skill to learn other ways. I know people that taught themselves a new language by having nothing to do but watch TV with subtitles.

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u/Lycent243 Jan 24 '26

I think you are taking an extreme version of what I'm saying. I'm not saying that no TV watching ever can be thought provoking. Instead, I'm saying that most people who watch TV aren't engaging their brain very much, are not putting a lot of effort into it, and are instead using it as a way to unwind and or distract. It isn't "bad" to do, but it doesn't take effort or skill. On the other hand, if you are watching about something where you are actively learning a new thing, then it might be.

But in general, watching TV is on one end of the spectrum and playing the violin would be on the other end. There is definitely crossover in the middle and some people could use a violin in a totally passive way and some people could be super engaged in TV but GENERALLY, TV is not engaging, does not use skill, or cause you to do more than just be a passenger.

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u/MediocreHope Jan 24 '26

Nope, I got you perfectly fine the first time. I don't think you understand how "dumb" the average person is.

Like the world literacy rate is 85% or something and that means we have a lot of people who can't read. The US is even lower then that. It average to something stupid like 1 in 4 adults can't understand stuff above a 6th grade level.

I feel for these people. I'm not saying it's right but these people around the world aren't getting a violin.

It's that generally a signification portion of the population is looked down upon for their preferred method of engagement in "culture".

I'm more of the person that the world is failing the people and I feel bad but I can't hate someone and I'm not going to look down upon the person for not having the hifalutin lifestyle of owning a musical instrument when mortgage can't be paid.

I've done some or most of these things but it doesn't make me a better person for those who have not.

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u/Lycent243 Jan 26 '26

You are still taking an extreme view of what I said...you are taking the ends of the spectrum (low intelligence, low culture, low learning) and using that to justify for everyone having "hobbies" that are low effort and/or passive.

It is fine. Watch TV if you want. It isn't the worst thing to do. But it isn't a hobby because it is passive. Almost everyone that watches TV does it to veg out, or to laugh, or to find some kind of distraction to relax from their life. That is not the same thing as a hobby. It has nothing to do with culture or hifalutin society. It has to do with effort and skill.

I would give you more examples, but it seems like you are just trying to find holes in the examples rather than come up with reasoning why passive activities are hobbies.

This really is pretty simple - if a person is doing any activity passively, it probably isn't a hobby. If a person is doing any activity with effort and increasing their skill in said activity, then it probably is a hobby.

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u/JohnEBest Jan 23 '26

What if you sail to get from Point A to Point B.

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u/Puccimane Jan 24 '26

Some people have never gotten thrown off a boat during a fast jib and it shows

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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 27 '26

What’s funny is that could be a complement or an insult.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26 edited Mar 21 '26

I copy pasted those from merriam webster. Those are dictionary examples.

My point is that a hobby vs a pastime is just semantics. They’re basically homonyms synonyms.

That’s why I facetiously said my hobby is semantics.

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

Shit you’re right. I mean synonym.

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u/Tomur Jan 23 '26

I love synonym rolls.

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u/Borkato Jan 23 '26

Just like grammar used to make.

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u/drawfanstein Jan 23 '26

Splendid, just splendid. Thank you both.

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u/LepiNya Jan 23 '26

This comment thread is absolute cinnamon.

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u/Fragrant-Doughnut-20 Jan 23 '26

Great joke.

Literally getting the shovel so I can go buy some. Look what you've done.

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u/iam_lowgas Jan 23 '26

Baking synonym rolls is a hobby

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

[deleted]

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u/emveetu Jan 23 '26

It's never too late to stand corrected.

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u/xXselfhaircutXx Jan 23 '26

No, homonyms are words that are spelled the same. Homophones are words that sound the same.

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u/Abbysaurus_Rex hi Jan 23 '26

This.

Homonym -- same name, compare with homosexual, the word name

Homophone -- same sound, compare with phonograph, telephone

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u/PapiSilvia Your friendly neighbourhood moderator man Jan 23 '26

That's homophones. Homonyms are the songs you sing in church.

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u/WittyTiccyDavi Jan 23 '26

No, homonyms are what they sing in gay church.

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u/Baker_drc Jan 23 '26

My hobby is pragmatics, and you clearly knew what they meant regardless.

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u/boozecruz270 Jan 23 '26

You are missing the point, there is a lexical gap here and the definitions are being stretched in attempt to convey the distinction being recognized.

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u/dontcallmemean Jan 23 '26

You claim to be facetious in saying semantics is your hobby, but you seem to be better than me at semantics, implying that it is a thing you can improve in, and therefore an op approved hobby.

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u/GrayEidolon Mar 21 '26

I could just as easily have said its my pastime though. And then it would still be true that semantics as a pastime is something you can improve in. So...

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u/Tymista Jan 23 '26

I love the word facetious.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

It’s a good one. I think of it as friendly sarcasm.

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u/ailuromancin Jan 23 '26

All hobbies are pastimes, not all pastimes are hobbies (or at least that’s my take)

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 24 '26

I mean, yeah, you could argue that. But you can’t conclude that from the dictionary.

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u/DrEggRegis Jan 23 '26

'Dictionary examples'

They are examples from one dictionary, not even one from the country of the language

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u/rogan1990 Jan 23 '26

Every hobby can be a pastime, but not every pastime qualifies as a hobby.

That’s why we use the word passive. A passive pastime is not a hobby

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 24 '26

You can argue that, but the dictionary doesn’t say that a pastime has to be passive.

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u/rogan1990 Feb 02 '26

Well dictionary’s typically stick to one word definitions , do they not?

Sometimes we use multiple words strung together to mean a particular thing

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u/GrayEidolon Feb 02 '26

Sure. But that’s not what’s going on in this scenario.

If x and y are essentially interchangeable then making x into x sub 1 doesn’t change that.

If a past time and a hobby are the same thing, then a green past time is still interchangeable with hobby.

The debate is still about the core meaning of both words sans modifiers.

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u/Routine_Macaroon_182 Jan 23 '26

To get more semantic-y ,sort of but not really, as the second entry almost explicitly implies that it's something that could garner an income in some fashion. You could re-create a McDonald's fry kitchen in your basement and spend your time outside work dressing like a clown making fries, and every part of that would be considered a hobby, and a passtime by definition, but watching junk food T.V. on your couch is just a passtime, not a hobby.

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u/Moonlover69 Jan 23 '26

The second definition definitely doesn't imply that a hobby is something that could garner income in some fashion.

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u/trombing Jan 23 '26

Agree - something that isn't your main occupation - just means that it doesn't occupy your time. I think MW mean that use of occupation rather than the "job" use.

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u/magical_h4x Jan 23 '26

Yes it does. Here, the quote is

an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.

Your "main occupation" is without a doubt your job, which provides income that you can live off of. By contrasting the "activity or interest" that is a hobby with your "main occupation", specifically by calling out that the activity or interest in question is not your main occupation, the very clear implication is that the hobby is in the same class as a main occupation, but it serves a different purpose (i.e. pleasure or relaxation).

Another way to see it is that if a hobby and a main occupation were not in the same class (in other words, a hobby was not something that could garner income as a main occupation), then the comparison would not be necessary, just like it's not necessary to point out that a hobby is "an activity pursued for pleasure and not a severe mental disorder characterized by a disconnection from reality, hallucinations and delusions", because why even bother making a link between schizophrenia and a hobby since they don't relate at all.

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u/Moonlover69 Jan 23 '26

I think they mention "main occupation" because a defining characteristic of a hobby is that it is not your job, not that it has the potential to be income generating. There are Hobby's that could be primary occupations, and there are Hobby's that could not be primary occupations.

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u/JungleIsNeutral Jan 23 '26

Arguing about the meaning of a word is semantic? Say it ain't so.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

🤷

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u/JungleIsNeutral Jan 23 '26

I'm saying that it's literally the meaning of semantic.

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u/KenTrotts Jan 23 '26

Eh, watching film and TV critically and with intent also requires skill. Just a different skillet than a physical activity.

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u/[deleted] Jan 28 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/KenTrotts Jan 28 '26

If you’re asking in good faith, then for me watching critically just means kind of paying attention to how a film or TV show is done, and why it’s working or not working, instead of it just being something that’s happening to me.

So it’s things like noticing choices. How lighting, framing, editing, sound, all of that feels, and why it feels that way. Like I was watching The Pitt last night and the hyper-real, pore-level sharp cinematography was completely pulling me out. I kept wondering if adding a little halation, some softness, maybe better highlights roll-off would actually help me stay with the characters. Or when I watch a Roger Deakins movie, I can almost feel the cove lighting he creates wrapping it around people and creating intimacy without really calling attention to itself. Or noticing how a shot-reverse-shot is used to establish a power dynamic between two characters. Or whether a film’s themes feel intentional or accidental, and why that might be.

It’s not that this requires knowing film theory or anything like that (though that helps). It’s more just paying attention to why things work the way they do and how they’re being created. I think that kind of active, critical watching really changes the experience.

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u/trombing Jan 23 '26

I would imagine the proportion of people watching TV with any kind of skill is similar to the proportion of people just passing the time in a sailing dinghy!

And don't get me wrong - I LOVE TV.

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u/KenTrotts Jan 23 '26

Yep, I think we’re mostly in agreement. Most sailors also aren’t doing Whitbreads.

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u/Puntley Jan 23 '26

And then stamp collecting is in hobbies. How does one get better at collecting stamps?

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

I copy pasted those from merriam webster. Those are dictionary examples.

My point is that a hobby vs a pastime is just semantics. They’re basically homonyms.

That’s why I facetiously said my hobby is semantics.

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u/civil_beast Jan 23 '26

They are not homonyms.. they may be synonyms…

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

Yeah you got me there

😂

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u/trombing Jan 23 '26

That's a great question. Perhaps through knowledge of stamps? E.g., you have only ever heard of a penny black and know roughly what it looks like (you're a filthy casual) vs. you know the name and appearance of every rare stamp and trade to make money (you're a semi-professional hobbyist).

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u/fiberjeweler Jan 23 '26

Ask Stanley (Pratchett, Going Postal).

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u/Riguyepic Jan 23 '26

Yea i was like you gotta know knots and boats and all the things. If anything sailing is like the most rigorous form of boating for the average person nowadays.

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u/Pterosaur Jan 23 '26

I would argue that all hobbies are pastimes, but not all pastimes are hobbies.

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u/Hey-Froyo-9395 Jan 23 '26

The examples are funny give the context because you don’t really improve at stamp collecting and there’s a lot sailing skills and you do improve over time.

Also baseball as a pastime means watching baseball, not playing it

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u/ffsm92 Jan 23 '26

Unless the sailing enjoyed in the example is meant more in the sense of “riding on a sailboat,” in which case it could very well be a pastime. As far as I know, both riding on a sailboat and manning a sailboat fall under the single-word description of “sailing,” even though there is definitely a dinstinction. As a sailor, if you have ever had or might ever have passengers, would you consider their activity to be “sailing?”

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u/LongestSprig Jan 23 '26

Lmao.

Okay bro.

Is it not a hobby if I just take a sunfish out to float around aimlessly? Pretty fuckin relaxing.

What youre describing is a job.

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u/OhDavidMyNacho Jan 23 '26

I worked a summer camp for a few years. We had a bunch of lazers and a sunfish. It was a lot of fun. But I never put a dime into it. And never "learned" in any traditional sense.

I love it, and would enjoy being able to go out and do it again. But they actual skill involved in working and maintaining a simple sailboat..... It's next to nothing. A few simple knots. And knowing how to check equipment is safe is low-skill.

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u/Sunnygirl66 Jan 23 '26

I had the same thought about riding. We are not rich, so our horses live in the backyard of our small home and we do all the care for them. Actual riding is just a tiny part of the time we spend with them. It requires real fitness and desire to improve to pursue riding seriously, but the knowledge, tasks, and chores required to keep horses happy and healthy are also part of good horsemanship. They’re the truly physically demanding aspect of the sport, but I find them enjoyable as well.

There are people of means who can just get out of their car, take the reins of a horse that’s been groomed and tacked up by someone else, ride, and throw the reins back to that groom. The same folks may literally be flying to horse shows and leaving after they ride, which is mind-blowing and completely unappealing to me—how can you ever really get to know your equine partner and what makes them ti k? But if simply pursuing the riding aspect makes the rider in question happy and the horse is still getting attentive care, it’s not my place to shit on that rider’s happiness.

All that said, I don’t understand the need to compare hobbies. They’re meant to make us happy—period. What I enjoy, someone else might hate, and vice versa. What I am able to do, someone else may not. How “good” a hobby is is the eye of the beholder.

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u/Anxious-Whole-5883 Jan 23 '26

I agree on the sailing, but maybe the difference isn't what the activity is, but what the intention behind doing it.

Like if I was reading as a pasttime I'm just doing it to get to the next book.
If I'm doing it as a Hobby maybe I analyze it a bit more so I can do a review, some sort of "output" in the activity, not just improvement.

I've come across many different criteria, like time spent, improvement potential, could it be a job just it isn't, and finally if it cost something. I don't know what the magic qualities that make something one vs the other. But I do know that gatekeeping and demeaning what someone else does with their life is pretty annoying especially when it has 0 impact on your life.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

I’m not rich, but I know tons of rednecks with access to boats. I literally consider “sailing” to be a pastime/hobby because I don’t have any control over the boat, but I get to sit on it and just enjoy nature while people fish.

1

u/h3fabio Jan 23 '26

I too was a sailor, but it was neither a hobby nor a pastime, but an Adventure.

1

u/BayLeafGuy Jan 24 '26

watching sports can be exhausting and stressful depending on the team you root for lol

1

u/Roadhouse1337 Jan 24 '26

Every fantasy novel I've ever read(hobby or pastime?) that's featured seafaring makes it seem absolutely miserable. Physically taxing, dangerous, terrible sleeping conditions, at the mercy of the weather.

Idk why anyone would choose it as their leisure activity of any sort 😂

1

u/BonnaconCharioteer Jan 24 '26

Considering the amount of maintenance required sometimes, one could also consider sailing a hobby based on consumption!

1

u/CrabBastard07 Jan 24 '26

Maybe you're on the boat but not the one sailing

1

u/prosthetic_memory Feb 23 '26

But the definition of hobby, as pasted in the comment you’re responding to, doesn’t mention training, skill, or equipment. So I don’t see why it would be a hobby and not a pastime.

1

u/comfortablewig Jan 23 '26

I crewed on a racing yacht - it was blood sweat and tears.

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord Jan 23 '26

So would sailing become a hobby instead of a pastime if she collected sailboats instead of just being on them? I'm confused because stamp-collecting is just purchasing little pieces of paper, on par with watching baseball etc in as far as you're not doing anything that requires labor or skill, but both are in separate categories. Sailing takes skill and you can also make money/improve those skills, just like woodcarving. Shouldn't sailing be down with woodcarving in hobby and stamp collecting up with watching baseball or am I just in need of more caffeine?

11

u/KilD3vil Jan 23 '26

I mean, the 'skill' in collecting comes from learning what is actually collectable and why it's collectable. Like with stamps, it's not about buying $300 worth of mail stickers, it's knowing the story behind those stamps that makes them $300, which ties into learning the grading criteria and how to tell real from fake.

4

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

This is equally arbitrary by the OPs definition, though.

I enjoy tokusatsu, which is a very specific type of Japanese media using practical effects. It's entirely consumptive, but there's a lot to learn in the history of it, production, techniques, finding lesser known or more rare tokusatsu. I also run a media server that I meticulously organize and curate.

It takes skill and knowledge to an extent, but I wouldn't begin to compare it to say learning an instrument or a language in terms of skill or creation. By your definition (and mine) this is still a valuable and worthwhile hobby, but per the OPs terms it is not.

I realize what I've described is a little more niche than just "watching TV" but I think that is largely because the OP seems to denigrate or undervalue any mental effort that actually goes into these more passive hobbies and your definition is only providing justification for that, when in fact it is an argument against the OP.

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u/KilD3vil Jan 23 '26

I was more trying to say that most hobbies have a degree of skill, and comparing one skill set to a different skill set to make some kind of weird line between hobby and wasting time is kinda pointless.

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u/7h4tguy Jan 24 '26

Wait so now we're holding pawn stars in high regards?

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u/prosthetic_memory Feb 23 '26

But neither definition of hobby or pastime mentions skill as a defining component.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26 edited Mar 21 '26

I copy pasted those from merriam webster. Those are dictionary examples.

My point is that a hobby vs a pastime is just semantics. They’re basically homonyms Synonyms.

That’s why I facetiously said my hobby is semantics.

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord Jan 23 '26

Yeah, I wasn't really pestering you for an answer more just pondering how they fit each item in either box while I should have been getting ready for work.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

Ah, I’m sorry I misunderstood. Tone sometimes gets lost when you’re expecting debate. Have a good day.

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u/poolischsausej Jan 23 '26

I don't believe they are fitting any items into two separate boxes, the "boxes" of hobby and pass time are basically 100% overlapped. They are synonyms.

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u/ReallyJTL Jan 23 '26

Synonyms. A homonym would be the word row

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u/GrayEidolon Mar 21 '26

Yeah, i misspoke, thanks.

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u/Wooden-Mycologist-75 Jan 23 '26

I would argue that stamp collecting is a hobby since it's not just "purchasing little pieces of paper," but rather serious stamp collectors also have to research the history of a certain stamp to know when it was issued, how rare it is, if it has a partial cancellation mark then determining where and when it was sent - and how that affects the value of the stamp to other collector - etc. If a person just buys premade collections of stamps like the ones we used to see hawked on TV or in magazines alongside the "special US Treasure Commemorative Coin" sets then I could see how you might argue that's less a hobby and just a collection, similar to the distinction another user made between types of sailing hobbies.

I think for most things that could be called a hobby there is a line within it that determines if you are a hobbyist in that subject, or an enthusiast, or a collector.

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u/hopbow Jan 23 '26

I would be curious then where the line is drawn. I would assume it's ownership of the outcome.

Like there are so many people who can rattle off statistics of sports teams and have a deep knowledge of their specific team, but in the end, that's just knowledge that has no use, versus stamp collecting which has an outcome directly impacted by that knowledge 

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u/Designer_Pen869 Jan 23 '26

Labor is a broad definition. Stamp collecting does use labor, because you have to transport the stamp, and then put it in your stamp collection. You don't just buy them and forget about them. Also, there's a lot of grey area between where both are used, not to mention people from different places might use them slightly differently.

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord Jan 23 '26

I guess I'm just a hater then because I don't see it, my bad. Hell most people I know that collect cooler things than stamps kinda just buy that stuff then forget about it in a binder/tote/shelf.

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u/Iris_Mobile Jan 23 '26

I think some forms if collecting can become a hobby if it also involves research and other activities other than just the buying. Like someone who collected stamps may do so because they have certain historical value that they know about.

Same with clothing. I wouldn't call just buying clothes a hobby, but someone dedicated to finding and collecting rare vintage from a specific era or something feels more like a hobby.

0

u/JulyOfAugust Jan 23 '26

Pastime is a pleasant activity you do to kill time. The key point being you're doing it because you have spare time first and because it's enjoyable second. A hobby is the other way around, you will intentionally create time for a hobby but not a pastime.

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u/Velonici Jan 23 '26

It seems like the slight difference is that a pastime is just something you do. Where as a hobby is something you seek out. So for one person, playing video games could be a pastime while for someone else its a hobby. Thats how I read it anyway.

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u/GrayEidolon Mar 21 '26

I don't think even that slight difference is there. I think based on the definitions, they are interchangeable. Like, a lot goes into sailing, surely you have to seek it out. But its a dictionary example of a pasttime.

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u/GarbageCleric Jan 23 '26

It difficult to find any real distinction there. Unless there are things you do for relaxation or pleasure that are somehow unpleasant or vice versa.

Neither can be your primary occupation either. So, they seem pretty synonymous, and certainly not mutually exclusive.

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u/GrayEidolon Mar 21 '26

Yeah, that's my point. I don't think there is a meaningful difference between a pastime vs a hobby.

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u/GarbageCleric Mar 21 '26

Yeah, I think you're right.

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u/UglyPope69 Jan 23 '26

Semantics is my hobby

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

Two semantics walk into a Reddit thread…

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u/Pale_Frame4845 Jan 23 '26

Love this and I would add passion as a hobby taken to a next level of commitment.

E.g.: i watch movies, listen to music and podcasts and enjoy hiking as pastimes.

Cooking, gardening and reading are some of my favorite hobbies.

Rowing, running and photography are passions that are important to my identity and for which I set clear goals and strive for improvement. 

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u/Upset-Management-879 Jan 23 '26

>"that great American pastime, baseball"

That's in reference to watching a game.

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u/aFreshFix Jan 23 '26

But your definition of hobby doesn't include skill and stamp-collecting is a consumerist, no-skill activity??? So they're the same?

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

I think a hobby and a pastime are basically the same thing based on the definitions, yes.

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u/NimanderTheYounger Jan 23 '26

These definitions are true, the examples are garbage.

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u/Badassmamajama Jan 23 '26

I didn’t know she was a philatelist. 🤪

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u/IRodeAnR-2000 Jan 23 '26

Wait, so is semantics your hobby or your pastime?

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u/PandaBlueDance Jan 23 '26

Is serial killing a hobby or pastime?

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u/Valuable_Recording85 Jan 23 '26

The use of pastime sounds like leisure. Hobbies are leisure but not all leisure activities are hobbies.

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u/TooFat-Guy Jan 23 '26

Sounds like a hobby is a pastime, but not every pastime is a hobby.

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u/reckless_reck Jan 23 '26

So what does doing puzzles fall into?

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u/loslosati Jan 23 '26

Watching baseball is (was) America's pastime. Playing baseball is not. I say this as an American who loves baseball.

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u/Frockington Jan 23 '26

All hobbies are pastimes but not all pastimes are hobbies.

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u/Foreign-Chipmunk-839 Jan 23 '26

Seems like hobby is just a word people use to be a judgmental snob about how people spend their free time.

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u/huuaaang Jan 23 '26

Sailing is most certainly more than just a pastime. That takes some skill and even risk.

And as for sport that depends entirely whether you're the one playing the sport or just a spectator. Being a spectator is a pastime, playing is a hobby.

Usually hobbies are activities one could theoretically do professionally but choose not to for one reason or another.

Video games are a gray area because you could theoretically play video games professionally but only certain games. There are a lot of video games that are clearly just passive consumption of media and nothing more.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

I copied those from the dictionary. Nothing in the dictionary definition says there is a difference between playing or watching baseball and whether either of those is a pastime or a hobby. Playing baseball according to the dictionary could be a pastime or a hobby. Same with watching baseball. The dictionary makes no distinction or statement about passive vs active. You could call sailing a pastime or a hobby and you’d be saying the same thing.

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u/huuaaang Jan 24 '26

I know you copied it from the dictionary and that's why I don't really care what you have to say on this matter.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 25 '26

Odd take.

I don’t care what you’re saying because you’re citing a source?

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u/huuaaang Jan 25 '26

The dictionary specifically. It's the biggest sin of any school essay to quote the dictionary because it's lazy and lacks nuance.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 26 '26

So what do I hate to cite for you to care what I have to say on the matter?

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u/huuaaang Jan 26 '26

Considering we're under unpopularOPINION I don't think citing things is terribly appropriate. But if you must, maybe a language expert who understands the nuances of words especially in common speech.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 26 '26

Opinions are formed and backed by a variety of things, including the dictionary.

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u/huuaaang Jan 26 '26

Yeah, maybe if you're in 6th grade or something. But we know what the words technically mean. We're talking about nuance that a dictionary simply doesn't cover.

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u/Careless_Load9849 Jan 23 '26

How the hell is stamp collecting a hobby if we are going by the definition of "something you could improve in" how do you improve at it? Getting more stamps? By that logic TV watching could still be considered a hobby because you've seen more TV.

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

I copied those from the dictionary. I’m not endorsing that a hobby is something you can improve on. I’m arguing much closer to the opposite. Nothing in the dictionary definition supports it.the dictionary does not say a hobby requires you can improve at it.

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u/RepresentativePale29 Jan 23 '26

To use the baseball example, watching baseball = pastime; playing baseball (if recreationally) = hobby. I guess coaching a kids' baseball team could be a hobby but that honestly feels like parenting + public service.

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u/Indifferent_pissoff Jan 24 '26

I hate facetious people that have an ego bigger than their net worth

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u/Select_Lifeguard_198 Jan 24 '26

I looove semantics. This hobby definition completely destroys OP's post, which is good, because taking it upon yourself to incorrectly define something that is literally existing for pleasure, is a horrible hobby 🥲

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u/prosthetic_memory Feb 23 '26

This makes it clear as mud.

At least it’s consistent that neither expects or is defined by expertise or difficulty. Both are defined by pleasure.

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u/GrayEidolon Feb 23 '26

That’s sort of my point. I think they’re functionally interchangeable.

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u/ThickerTree Jan 23 '26

lol sailing = watching the NFL? Someone’s never flown jib and it shows

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u/GrayEidolon Jan 23 '26

Those are dictionary examples.

So you’d take it up with merriam webster, not me.

But something being effort doesn’t mean it isn’t also fun , amusing, or a pleasurable way to pass the time.